MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The West Monroe Board of Aldermen has unanimously approved an expansion of the city’s economic development district (EDD), incorporating 57 new short-term rental cabins and additional land owned by Warhawk Enterprises and the city itself. This move aims to level the financial playing field for all hospitality businesses in the area, including existing hotels near Lake Latago. n nMayor Staci Albritton Mitchell emphasized that the inclusion of these cabins under the EDD framework ensures they contribute to local economic growth through a one-cent sales tax. Revenue generated from this tax flows directly back into the district, funding infrastructure improvements, enhancements at the Ike, or developments at the West Monroe Sports and Events Center. n n“The expansion strengthens our ability to reinvest in the community,” Mayor Mitchell explained. “Every dollar collected within the district stays within the district, supporting future initiatives that benefit residents and visitors alike.” The updated boundaries now ensure consistent taxation and eligibility for funding across all qualifying properties. n
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West Monroe approves expansion of economic development district
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The West Monroe Board of Aldermen unanimously approved expansion of the city’s economic district to include 57 cabins and additional land owned by the city and the company behind the cabins, Warhawk Enterprises. n n“Including Lake Latago, the new short-term rental cabins in the district just puts them on an even playing field,” West Monroe Mayor Staci Albritton Mitchell said. “It includes all of the hotels there along that area within the district. They all have a one-cent sales tax on them. That money goes into the EDD. That money, then the EDD can only be spent on economic development within that district.” n nMayor Mitchell says the tax will go towards making those projects possible. n n“It’s contributing to the economic development of the district,” Mitchell said. “It’s generating revenue that will go into the district. So funds created in the district can then be spent within the district and on other future projects, whether it’s expanding infrastructure, whether it’s doing some things at the Ike, or doing some things at the West Monroe Sports and Events Center. That’s what the EDD is for.”